Page 191 of The Hookup Situation
I can’t stop the joy that bursts out of me. “We didn’t tell each other what our costumes were.”
“Totally meant to be,” she says.
Nick casually strolls toward me. When he reaches me, he bows, extending his hand. “Princess Jasmine,” he says loud enough for a few people by the fireplace to grin.
I roll my eyes, but my hand finds his anyway. “Aladdin? Really?”
“Coincidence,” he says, kissing the back of my hand. “Or fate. You pick.”
My cheeks burn, but I smile so hard that it hurts. “You look handsome.”
“You’re a dream,” he says without missing a beat. His eyes sweep over me slowly, deliberately, and the heat in his gaze makes my knees weak.
Blaire coughs dramatically beside us. “Okay, I’ll leave you two before I get cavities. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Uh, you have no boundaries,” I say.
“Exactly.” She chuckles, disappearing into the crowd.
I lean in closer as the bass of the music shakes the floor. Ghost lights are strung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the entire space. Even so, Nick is the brightest light in the room.
“Damn, I’ve missed you.” His mouth brushes mine.
The kiss is full of certainty.
“I missed you too.”
The fear of losing him immediately vanishes. As our tongues slide together, I know tonight isn’t about endings. It’s about new beginnings.
32
NICK
Julie tastes like sugar. When I finally pull away from kissing her, she’s breathless. Her cheeks are flushed, and her green eyes sparkle beneath the jeweled crown. I’m ruined. Absolutely fucking ruined.
The bass shakes the floors of Hollow Manor, but she pulls me toward the dance floor anyway. Her hand is in mine, and her laughter spills out of her. We dance through two songs, then three. She teases me for not knowing the words, and I tease her for knowing them. The crowd fades away until it’s just us.
We eventually trade the dance floor for the outdoor bar, weaving through the crowd of costumes until I lead her toward a tall table near the edge of the terrace. A skull candle glows in the middle, casting light on our faces. Julie leans into me without thinking, like her body already knows where it belongs.
I grab us two of the signature drinks, Love Potions. When we’re alone, we finally breathe. She smells like vanilla, and it’s mixing with the spice of cinnamon from the drinks we’re sipping. Her wig is slightly crooked from dancing. She’s beautiful, her teal costume shimmering under the strings of lights overhead.
I slide an arm around her waist. “Did you have a good day?”
“It was incredible. Thank you,” she says. “But it still felt too long without you.”
“You’re welcome. I couldn’t get you off my mind.”
“Same,” she confesses, and it makes my heart flutter.
The music thumps in the distance, and laughter drifts across the lawn. Her warmth seeps through the silk costume. Every time my thumb slides over her hip, she exhales like she can’t help herself.
She’s the calm in my fucking sails.
We finish our drinks and grab new ones, and then she leads me toward the firepit. The flames lick upward, sparks flying into the night sky. A few people glance our way, smiles tugging at their mouths like they’re in on the secret, but I don’t care who sees us together.
I sink into one of the Adirondack chairs and open my arms. Julie takes my lap like she belongs there. My arm wraps around her waist, and her smile catches in the firelight.
When I kiss her, it’s less about want and more about need. It leaves me wrecked, wanting more of her.
